Abnegation
by AJlovesKakashi
Summary: When Sakura recieves threats from his idiotic brother, Itachi seeks to reset his brother on "the plan" for revenge by guarding her. Request fic. Oneshot.


This is a request fic for… Gaara'sgirlsoffangirlsBACKOFF (now known as CrazyBitchWithAKunai)…that's a mouthful, both of them. XD

I'm sorry it took longer than originally planned. But to be honest, it's way longer than was originally planned. Seriously. *sweatdrop*

I plan to update my other stories SOON. I promise.

I've been having a lot of computer problems, so please be patient! I have another ItaSaku story up (and it shall be a two-shot…) and the LAST (yes, the last) chapter of Eternity in a Wooden Case should be finished when I find the resolve to finish it.

Disclaimer: Do you think that if I owned Naruto I would have to worry about summer work, computer problems, and my future? Nope. I would be having so much fun (and be SO rich) that I wouldn't have to bother with any of it! Kishimoto still owns Naruto…but…if something does happen to him to where I inherit the series…Mwahahahahahahaha…*Ahem*…you didn't hear that.

-o0-

Abnegation

-o0-

Sasuke had been sighted in Fire Country and Itachi knew precisely why; his foolish brother had finally given up on defeating him and moved on to his second goal: reproduction of the clan. Itachi also knew, however, that Sasuke would not resign himself to the quiet life in Konoha his elder brother had always planned for him. His informant had notified Itachi of a letter addressed to one Haruno Sakura that contained Sasuke's true plans, plans that would be halted for the sake of his foolish otouto's well being.

Itachi hastily made his way down the darkened hallway of the Akatsuki base to Pain's personal office and rapped on the door as sharply as the silent dread within him.

"Enter, Itachi," a voice from within commanded.

"Pain-sama," Itachi acknowledged with a nod as he strode into Pain's dimly lit space, "I must inquire something of you."

"Speak."

Itachi quelled the hatred that fought to arise within him at the Akatsuki leader's immense arrogance, "Have you any need for a medic?"

Pain cocked an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, "A medic could always be useful to the organization I suppose. Do you have knowledge of one fit to enter our ranks?"

Itachi remained stiff and orderly as he proposed his plan, "Although we may not have her permanently, it could be possible to arrange for the Hokage's prized apprentice to join Akatsuki as a valuable medic."

"Temporarily?" Pain asked.

"I have Intel that my younger brother has threatened Haruno-san on several occasions and I believe that we can use this knowledge to form a contract with the Hokage."

"A contract? What would prompt the Hokage to allow us to use her prized apprentice as a medic for an organization that has threatened her people on more than one occasion? Itachi, better present your argument so that I may understand the benefits of such an endeavor," Pain scoffed, turning his attention to the stack of papers on his desk.

Itachi cleared his throat and stared at the man before him, "Hokage-sama is Haruno Sakura's legal guardian and mother figure. That being said, my otouto's threat to kidnap Haruno-san is a devastating one for the Godaime. We, the Akatsuki, can provide for Haruno-san's safety in exchange for her medic abilities."

"You're forgetting, Itachi, that I intend to destroy that hedonistic village."

"And any information gathered from Haruno-san could be beneficial to you. She is second only to Tsunade in medic ability and the benefit for us is Hokage-sama's debt should we provide for her beloved daughter."

"You make a convincing point," Pain acknowledged grudgingly, "so I trust that you can arrange the details with Tsunade. Dismissed."

"Hai, Leader-sama," Itachi nodded as he swept from the office, his plan already moving into effect.

-o0-

Tsunade gawked at the young man before her, "You **what**?"

"The Akatsuki is willing to provide shelter for Haruno Sakura from Uchiha Sasuke," Itachi repeated, retaining every bit of his pride as he stood before the desk he hadn't seen in over ten years.

"Uchiha, I understand that you're Jiraiya's contact within Akatsuki, but why the **hell** would you think I would agree to this…deal?" Tsunade leaned back in her chair with incredulous exasperation written on her face.

"You are familiar with my history, are you not?"

"Of course, I'm the Hokage," Tsunade sent a subtle look of sincere apology to the young man, "It's my job to know."

Itachi sighed and took a seat before the Godaime and began, "Sasuke is severely off the path I planned for him and Haruno-san is not meant to be caught up in the Uchiha Clan's curse."

"But if you take her, Sasuke will be set after you again, Itachi, and Sakura will be involved anyway," Tsunade argued. "Or is this just about the order of things for you? First," she began to get angry as she clenched her fist tightly, "Sasuke kills you and then he kidnaps and turns my apprentice into a baby factory?"

"Please, Hokage-sama, I shall arrange for her safety," Itachi sighed again, rubbing his temple in frustration. "Sasuke will not touch your apprentice if you hand her over to Akatsuki in an exchange."

"I believe we can protect her just fine in the village! I don't need Pain to use my fuckin' **daughter** as a bargaining chip in any one of his games," Tsunade looked reflective and upset, "I lose games too often to gamble with Sakura's life."

"Hokage-sama," Itachi slid to his knee and inclined his head, "I swear to you, as an ANBU captain and loyal member of this village, to protect her with my life." Itachi raised his head dramatically to meet the Godaime's amber eyes, "Have I ever faltered in my duty to my village?"

"No," Tsunade looked away, "you have not."

-o0-

"Sakura!" a hyperactive blond called, latching his arms around his teammate, "Are you up for ramen?"

"Are you paying?" she asked skeptically, removing herself from his grasp.

Naruto looked down and shuffled his feet slightly in embarrassment, "Jiraiya needed money earlier this week and I happen to be broke—"

"See you, Naruto!" she waved as she jumped to the roof of a building and disappeared from his sight, whispering to herself, "There's no way in hell I'd get roped into paying for his ramen. No way."

Sakura took her time as she made her way across the rooftops to the highest point in the village and stared at the white clouds as they floated among a deep blue backdrop. Naruto had no idea about the threat she had received from their teammate, and she intended for it to stay that way. The idiot could continue to blindly pursue Sasuke without the terrible knowledge that he had threatened her.

Although he was optimistic, Sakura knew he would never forgive Sasuke for what he'd written in that letter…just as she would never forgive him for it. Sakura felt the pain most acutely as she reached her destination and endured it in silence as the revelation washed over her: she was not in love with Sasuke anymore. The pain shot through her limbs, but Sakura could not cling to her inclination to cry. She was a **Jonin** for the love of God!

What Sakura felt was not sadness, instead, it was release. Release from the chains her love for Sasuke had created without her knowledge. He was poison, and now she knew it. He did not love her or even recognize her as a person and with that realization, Sakura was free.

The tears pricked at her eyes, but she buried her head into her arm as she plopped herself down on the stone of the Hokage Monument. "Sasuke…you bastard."

"Haruno-san?" a voice called urgently, prompting her to wipe at her dry face unconsciously.

"Y-Yes?" she called back urgently, "Is there a problem at the hospital?"

"No. Hokage-sama requests your presence in her office," the voice answered back before the telltale signs of a transportation jutsu wafted toward her in the form of smoke.

Sakura rose to her feet and disappeared into her own cloud.

-o0-

"Shishou?" Sakura inquired in surprise as her teacher engulfed her in a hug the moment she entered the Hokage's office. "What's wrong?"

Tsunade pulled away and looked at her daughter figure unhappily, "What I'm doing is for your protection, remember this. I want you to seal all of your medical texts and supplies along with your clothing into scrolls, and anything else you'll need to be comfortable."

Sakura blinked rapidly, "I don't understand, Shishou."

"Scratch that— seal all of your belongings into scrolls! Furniture and everything!" the Godaime despaired.

"That won't be necessary, Tsunade-sama," another voice made himself known. "The furniture at the base is adequate. Clothes, supplies, and medical texts and scrolls are all that is required for Haruno-san to bring."

"I'm still confused." Sakura looked from the ANBU captain (whom she could only recognize as the messenger who had told her to report to the scene she was now confronted with) to her teacher. "Is this a mission?"

"No, Sakura," Tsunade pulled the girl closer to herself and whispered, "this is to keep you safe. The ANBU will tell you about it all when you arrive at your location…but you must not attack him or any of his companions. Remember, I know of the entire deal."

"What?" Sakura's brow creased and she stared at Tsunade with confusion, "Shishou, could you just tell me straight? You aren't making any sense!"

"Haruno-san, we must be leaving at dusk. Please prepare your things and wear warmer clothing," the captain commanded in his rather rich voice. "Tsunade-sama, we need to be on our way."

Tsunade nodded once at the man and turned to her apprentice, "I want you to be on your best behavior. At dusk, meet the captain just outside the gate."

"H-Hai, Tsunade-shishou," the pink-haired medic pulled away from the elder woman and bowed, "I don't know what the hell is going on, but I will see through whatever is ahead of me."

"Be careful, Sakura," the Godaime waved unhappily.

-o0-

The night air was chilly, Sakura noticed. She was glad the ANBU had given her the warning so she could change her attire to something far more appropriate.

The pair walked in silence and although Sakura felt the companionship he offered was awkward to say the least, he didn't seem fond of talking in excess. After much experience with such males, Sakura quietly kept pace with the man leading her to the unknown "base" he'd mentioned earlier. Her scrolls we're stuffed into her pack and she hoped she'd packed exactly what she'd need for this…whatever _this_ was.

"We shall make camp here," the captain announced suddenly, halting in his tracks.

Sakura nodded in affirmation and set her pack down gratefully before pulling the zipper open and retracting her bedroll. "Shifts?"

"I shall stay awake the entire night, so there is no need for you to concern yourself," he responded.

Sakura sent him a concerned glare, "You do know that sleep is essential to high functioning shinobi, correct?"

"I do not require sleep. Please, prepare for bed."

Sakura was prepared to argue, and he feared she would, but instead she sighed and dug through her bag once again for a scroll. After the release technique was performed, she quickly straightened up her bag and offered him chopsticks. "Then you should at least eat if you refuse to sleep."

Itachi received the utensils from her with amusement as he watched her hold out a bento for him, "Arigato."

"I understand (vaguely) that you are not to reveal yourself until we get…wherever we're going, so I'll eat quickly. Itadakimasu!" Sakura dug into her bento and, true to her word, ate quickly. "When you're done, just leave the bento near my bag and I'll take care of it in the morning."

He nodded as he watched the pink-haired medic disappear within her bedroll and turn away from him. He unwrapped his bento she had so generously prepared for him and whispered, "Itadakimasu."

-o0-

After another day of travelling, they made camp again and Sakura was nearly crazy with the lack of conversation. Even Neji talked to her more than the ANBU had over the last two days!

Once again, she pulled a bento from her bag and handed him chopsticks, "You really should sleep."

"I don't sleep."

"But you **should**."

The ANBU didn't respond and instead opted to seat himself a few feet from her, "We shall arrive at around noon tomorrow."

_'Thank God,'_ Sakura thought happily. "Really?"

The ANBU nodded and moved his hand to the edge of his mask, "Which means I shall reveal myself and your situation. First, though, you must give your word to neither attack me nor run away. I remind you now that Tsunade-sama is well aware of my identity and my affiliations."

Sakura nodded hastily, attempting to speed the process along, "I will neither attack you nor run away." The ANBU pulled the mask from his face and freed his long, dark hair from the hood of his ANBU uniform. Itachi prepared himself for any form of retribution from the pink-haired medic, but when his dark eyes met her green ones, all he found was unadulterated shock.

"Uchiha Itachi…" she breathed. "Why…?"

Itachi moved to sit closer to her, unaffected as her body unconsciously leaned away from his dangerous presence. "My otouto is prepared to kidnap you and I have offered my services to the Godaime to protect you in exchange for your medic skills."

"Why are you wearing an ANBU uniform?" she asked sharply, her eyes drawn to his in suspicion.

'_Of course she'd address __**that**__ aspect of my appearance,'_ Itachi thought, impressed. "That is a matter unconnected with your situation," Itachi responded as he mentally disagreed. His being in ANBU really caused her current situation in a roundabout way.

"Then what is my situation?"

"You shall be assisting Akatsuki until Sasuke has given up on you." Itachi raised a hand to his brow and rubbed at the wrinkles forming there, "We shall provide you with asylum in return for your services."

"Why did my shishou agree to this?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"Also a matter that should not concern you other than the fact that she is concerned for your well-being," he answered as he broke his chopsticks. "Please eat your bento and rest. Itadakimasu."

Sakura cast him another slight glare of suspicion before digging into her own bento, "Itadakimasu."

-o0-

Sakura shot up quickly from her place on the ground. Her breathing was strained and harsh while one hand was pressed against her chest and the other was braced against the ground. Eyes wide, Sakura frantically looked around and met the gaze of her Akatsuki companion.

"Haruno-san?" he asked quietly.

Sakura calmed and her eyes shut as she gathered herself, "Just a nightmare. I'm fine."

Itachi let the subject drop and averted his eyes from his ward. "You should go back to sleep, we shall be arriving tomorrow and the Akatsuki can be daunting."

"It's no good," Sakura shook her head, "I won't be able to sleep again tonight. Not after that…"

"Very well."

"Itachi-san," Sakura called out quietly, "Can you tell me what it'll be like?"

"Hm?"

Sakura pulled herself out of her bedroll and slumped forward slightly, "What are the other members of Akatsuki like? Should I be particularly worried over one certain member or…?"

"All of them are very dangerous and you would be wise to never let your guard down," Itachi answered shortly before adding in as a side note, "Tobi may appear harmless to you, but he is particularly powerful and ruthless."

"Tobi…alright," Sakura noted.

"Other than him, the others are as dangerous as they appear," Itachi concluded, "including myself."

Sakura propped up her knees and rested her chin against them, "I already assumed that you wouldn't be nearly as…cordial as you are now and as Sasuke's aniki, I don't trust you anyway."

"Wise choice."

Sakura frowned, "I'll never forgive him."

Itachi sent her a look that conveyed his respect for her decision, "Sasuke has committed several atrocities."

"Naruto will bring him back to the village, I know. But I will never associate with him again," she remarked quietly. "For Naruto, I won't mention Sasuke's threat, but I'll be damned if I let Sasuke forget it."

"We must leave now."

Sakura shifted her gaze to the east and saw the faint signs of sunrise, "Alright."

-o0-

The two made it to the base and stood before the entrance, waiting for something that was unknown…to Sakura. She was only slightly impressed by how covert the building was and how well it blended into its surroundings, but considering Akatsuki was a criminal organization filled with dangerous individuals, Sakura realized that it wasn't actually _that_ surprising.

"Itachi," a voice sounded, startling the pink-haired medic, "I see you were able to negotiate the exchange."

"Hai, Leader," the Uchiha responded with his usual unemotional tone. "Haruno-san has been placed under the Akatsuki's protection in exchange for her outstanding medic skills."

"Very well," Pain revealed himself and looked coldly from his subordinate to the medic in question, "Itachi, you will be her primary guardian. For everything she does, you are held accountable seeing as it's _your_ otouto who originally started this mess and it's _your_ negotiations to have led her to Akatsuki."

As Akatsuki's leader began to walk away, Itachi called out coldly, "Leader, I have a request."

"Yes?"

"Please inform the other members that Sakura is an honored guest. Otherwise they may try to―"

"That shall also be your responsibility. She is your charge and surely you have enough weight around here to keep the other members from harming her," Pain dismissed as he continued his path into the building and out of sight.

"Tch," Itachi's face momentarily looked irritated as he glared at the leader's back, but he soon once again regained his emotionless façade. "Very well."

"Uchiha-san?" Sakura tried hesitantly.

"This way," he commanded, walking towards the entrance before pausing to address his charge, "Haruno-san, please keep up and stay close. I am not aware of which members are currently at the base and if you lag behind, it is possible that one of them may attempt to kill you."

Sakura wasted no time in moving to Itachi's side and although he walked briskly, she managed to keep pace. She was easily lost as they turned corners and she knew that without him she could easily die in this place. She was dependent on him and it instantly struck her with an overwhelming sense of shame. What had her training been for?

Itachi seemed to apperceive her hesitation and he immediately addressed her lagging, "Haruno-san, please keep up."

"H-hai," Sakura responded unhappily.

His pace had slowed, but Sakura still found it difficult to think and simultaneously keep up with the Uchiha. She dismissed her thoughts for the moment, knowing she'd return to them later when alone, and concentrated on every twist and turn he made and eventually at the end of the dimly lit hallway was a light. They approached it quickly and when they entered, the room momentarily blinded Sakura.

"Itachi! Who's that, un?"

Sakura couldn't make out who the figure approaching her was, but she could vaguely see Itachi's form beside her thrust out an arm to keep the voice from reaching her. "Deidara, keep your distance."

"But who is she, un?" Deidara asked again.

"Haruno Sakura. She is to be our temporary medic and has been placed in my charge. Now," Itachi let his silk tone darken, "keep your distance, Deidara."

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Deidara was a very familiar blond and she recognized him immediately, "You!"

Deidara pointed at himself, "You recognize me, un? You're kinda familiar too, un!"

"Deidara," Itachi tried once again to no avail.

"Ah! I remember now, un!" the blond nodded, "You're the girl who killed Sasori-no danna, un!"

"And you're the one who kidnapped Kazekage-sama," Sakura confirmed.

Itachi was getting a headache already. Deidara hadn't listened to him and he was subconsciously aware that Deidara and Sakura, with their past ties, could become mortal enemies. "Haruno-san, please don't encourage him."

"It's okay, Itachi, un! She did me a favor!" Deidara smiled widely, "My art won because of Sakura-chan, un!"

Sakura's eye twitched and a bemused expression overtook her face, "I killed your partner and you're _thanking_ me?"

"Duh, un! Danna was stubborn about his art, but mine's better, un!" Deidara somehow found a way around Itachi, who was beyond irritated at the exchange. "Art is fleeting, un!" He clasped her hand in his own and Sakura nearly screamed when a tongue licked her palm.

"Deidara, if you don't mind," Itachi's voice was threatening, "we must be on our way."

"But Itachi," Deidara pouted, "she's perfect for my art, un!"

At that statement, Itachi grabbed hold of his charge and pulled her from the blond's grasp. "She is not to become your art. Now, Haruno-san, we must take our leave."

"H-Hai, Uchiha-san," Sakura responded, her face conveying her innermost thoughts, _'Get me the hell away from this freak.'_

Itachi released her arm and motioned for her to follow him down another hallway, one that was illuminated to the same degree as the lounge area (that's what Sakura had assumed it was) in which she'd met Deidara. They twisted through the corridors and Itachi eventually came to a stop before a particular doorway.

He opened the door and waited for her to enter, "I'm sorry, Haruno-san, but it is safer for you to share a room with me than to have one for yourself."

"W-What!" Sakura sputtered. "Just why the hell is that _safer_!"

"If you are alone, it is quite possible Deidara or one of the other members may attempt to kill you when you're defenseless. Therefore, it only makes sense that you share my room so that you may be better protected," Itachi reasoned unemotionally.

Sakura's face turned bright red and her mouth twisted into a grimace, "I don't feel comfortable with this arrangement at all."

"This was one of Tsunade's requirements."

Sakura's grimace deepened and she turned away from him, "Where's the bathroom then?"

Itachi pointed to a door and she quickly entered it, leaving the Uchiha to himself. He sighed and removed his hair tie, freeing his hair from its usual ponytail. Next, he unbuttoned his Akatsuki cloak and laid it on a chair in the corner of the room. He placed his shoes near the door and removed his headband and shirt before moving to the bed.

For a moment, Itachi just lay there, staring at the blood red wallpaper of his room. Despite the several years of staring at this exact same ceiling, Akatsuki was and would never be his home. When he closed his eyes, Itachi did not see the blood color of his room but instead saw the dark navy of his childhood bedroom. When Itachi looked at his cloak, he saw the worn out, navy turtle neck engraved with the Uchiha crest that he wore around his home village. For that matter, when Itachi saw Kisame he instead saw Shisui, his loveable pervert of a best friend.

The past haunted Itachi and he assumed it would never stop. He would always remember the terrified faces of his family members and the hate filled face of his beloved otouto (ItaSasu fangirls, go away, for the love of Jashin). Shisui's bloody corpse, both the sight and the smell of, would never leave him.

Itachi sighed heavily and slipped under the silken sheets, retreating to the farthest corner of his queen sized bed. Even if Tsunade had stipulated that he and Haruno share sleeping quarters, he wanted little to no contact with her. Her becoming close to him was out of the question and likewise, he could not become close to her. All for her safety, of course.

The bathroom door creaked open and she returned. Itachi sent a curious look to her when she stopped near the edge of the bed, looking unsure of the entire situation. "What causes you to hesitate?" he asked quietly.

"W-Well, you see," her face was bright red, "I had no idea that we were going to share a bed, so um…my sleepwear isn't really…appropriate."

Itachi cocked an eyebrow and looked at her again, "You're fine." He turned over and Sakura could have sworn his murmuring included something about kunoichi and their insecurities.

"What did you say?"

Itachi didn't answer and merely raised his hand in dismissal, "Think of it as a mission."

He had a point that Sakura couldn't argue with; there had been plenty of times in which Kakashi, Naruto and she had slept in the same bed wearing far less than she did now and slowly Sakura slid into the bed facing the opposite direction of her guardian. "Good night."

"Hn."

-o0-

For the next week, Sakura was relieved to learn that she and Itachi had mutual feelings about mornings, leading Deidara to often ridicule them at breakfast about their relationship (which was **nonexistent**, she yelled) and his accusations caused snickers among the rest of the Akatsuki, particularly Kisame.

"You two obviously wear yourselves out at night," the blue shark man smirked. "Sakura-chan should take it easy on him, he's still a vir―"

Itachi sent his partner a death glare, "I think that's enough from you, Kisame."

"Ah! Kisame agrees then, un!" Deidara looked dastardly, "Because Sakura-chan is too rough for Itachi, she should stay with someone else tonight, un!"

Sakura let herself slump down to rest her forehead on the cool wood of the breakfast table, "No thanks."

Deidara slipped his arms around her, "But Sakura-chan is so cute, un! She'd look so pretty on red, un."

Sakura raised her head up, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Tobi rushed to her side and laid his head on her shoulder, "Tobi knows, Sakura-chan! Red is the color of Deidara-sempai's bed!"

Sakura's eyes bulged and she broke free of the two idiots, pointing at Deidara in anger, "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Nothing, un!" Deidara smirked, "But Sakura-chan is the medic, so maybe she should give me a check up, un?"

Sakura tripped backwards to put some space between the blond and her poor person and found herself in the lap of an irritated Uchiha. Itachi glared at Deidara, "Get out."

"I'm not doing what some bastard Uchiha tells me to, un!" Deidara shouted angrily. "It's not fair that you get Sakura to yourself anyway, un!"

Itachi stood, bringing Sakura with him, and towered over the blond, "Get out."

Tobi looked from the faces of his "pretty, pretty, Sakura-chan," sempai, and the infuriated Uchiha. "Deidara-sempai, Tobi thinks it's not safe here."

"Tobi is right," Itachi snapped. "Get out!" Deidara glared at him and hesitantly slunk from the room with Tobi in tow.

"I never thought we'd have enough peace to eat," Kisame sighed, raising his chopsticks to take another bite only to pause after sensing Itachi's stare. He sighed again and stood, taking his bowl with him, "Fine, I'll leave. You really aren't a morning person."

Itachi sat back down to finish his meal, leaving Sakura standing uncertainly. "Sit," he ordered.

Sakura took her seat and began to eat slowly. They were alone…Sakura was unnerved, but she slapped herself out of it; she was hiding from an aggressor, not picking up on boys. "A-Ano, Itachi-san," she tried, "is there any word on Sasuke?"

Itachi slowly set down his eating utensils and looked at her seriously, "He knows you are being sheltered by Akatsuki."

Sakura dropped her chopsticks and they clattered to the ground, "He knows I'm here?"

"No," Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and looked at her in perceived boredom, "he knows that you are with Akatsuki, but has no way to locate the base."

"Has he," she looked away from him, "decided to kill you again?"

"Naturally."

"It's not natural at all!" Sakura stood defiantly, filled with courage. "Sasuke's revenge will lead him nowhere!"

"I agree to some extent, but the bond Sasuke and I have is one of hate," he continued eating, "he'll stop at nothing to kill me."

"And you just accept that!" Sakura slammed her fist down.

Itachi met her eyes, "Of course."

"Why?"

"Because I am the one who told him to do it."

Somehow, those words hit her hard and Sakura felt the despair rise in her. "I'll be in the room," she declared, bolting from the dining area.

Itachi watched her leave with an emotion kin to loneliness, but he soon dismissed the feeling and returned to his plate only to find it was now empty.

-o0-

(Somehow, that scene felt like filler…I'll leave that up to you, I suppose.)

-o0-

"Who the fuck is this?" Hidan pointed.

Itachi cast an irritated glance toward the silver haired immortal and a cautioning one towards his charge. Hidan had been absent from the base thus far and his return signaled that Itachi's job was about to become more difficult. Deidara had been an irritation, but he was easily controlled. However, Hidan was immortal, had a high tolerance for pain (the man killed himself every other day), and he was now eyeing Sakura like she'd be the best damn sacrifice for his Jashin.

"H-Haruno Sakura," she introduced herself as she subconsciously moved closer to Itachi, "and you are?"

The Jashin worshiper smirked noticeably and stalked closer, "Hidan."

Itachi observed silently as Hidan cast him a curious look, asking for permission to cart the medic away, no doubt to either sacrifice or convert her. Itachi placed one arm around the girl and leveled his gaze at the sadistic Jashin-worshipper as he spoke coldly, "She is under the protection of Akatsuki and is not to be harmed, understood?"

"Sure, Itachi." Hidan waved a hand at the Uchiha as he walked away from the pair with an odd smile set upon his face, "No problem."

Sakura stared at the retreating man's back before averting her eyes to her designated protector, "That isn't the last I'll see of him, is it?"

"Be very wary of Hidan," Itachi affirmed. "He is immortal, so should you fight him, you would certainly die."

Sakura's eyebrow shot up and she turned her head to where Hidan had been only a minute before, "Immortal?"

"Come, Sakura," he commanded, ushering her in the opposite direction of the silver-haired Akatsuki, "we must retire for the evening." (Is it me, or did that line make him sound like a vampire?)

Sakura let herself be pulled down the hallway and gave no resistance to the whims of her former teammate's older brother. Her thoughts then wandered to the blissful days of her Genin team…Sasuke's voice was mute― she'd forgotten the sound of him when she'd let go of her foolish crush. Only she and Naruto laughed and only she and Naruto fought. Naruto's voice was comforting, she decided as she was pulled around another corner, like a little token from home. Naruto was like a reminder for her: though she was in Akatsuki, Konoha was her true home.

Eventually, they reached the door to their shared room and the rest was routine for them. Neither flinched when they crawled under the covers together, spaced as far apart as they could manage, and Itachi left to keep an ear out for any possible intruders as his charge silently dozed into the black silk of his pillows.

The creaking floorboards set him on edge. Though the compound was old and the creaking was frequent throughout both night and day, Itachi was aware of the rhythmic creaking of footsteps. Each Akatsuki had a particular footstep pattern that Itachi could recognize and this one was clearly Deidara.

Itachi allowed himself a sigh, Deidara was one thing but Hidan would be quite another.

Silently, the creaking paused outside the bedroom but Deidara allowed himself only a second before he continued down the hallway, allowing the peace Itachi hoped would continue.

No such luck.

Another set of footsteps registered with Itachi and he was immediately set on edge. It was Pain and even though Itachi was fairly sure that Pain was only checking up on them, Pain's presence never failed to make Itachi cautious.

The door to the room creaked open quietly and Itachi found himself looking into the eyes of a smirking Pain. "I thought she might be in here."

"Leader," Itachi acknowledged, "What business brings you to my room?"

"I only came to check on you and remind you that it is your responsibility to protect the girl from any threat." Pain stared directly into Itachi's Sharingan gaze, "I'll have a word with Hidan only because he has a tendency to do whatever he wants, despite your fearsome reputation. I cannot allow him to ruin this arrangement."

"That would be much appreciated, Leader-sama," Itachi nodded his thanks. "I had the feeling he took my earlier warning as a challenge."

"Very likely."

"Good night, Leader-sama."

Pain paused, "Another thing, Uchiha. If you decide to somehow make that girl your wife," Pain smirked mercilessly, "a permanent medic in Akatsuki would be much welcomed."

Itachi stared blankly at him before dismissing his comment completely, "Good night, Leader-sama."

"Farewell, Itachi."

-o0-

Dawn could not have arrived sooner for Itachi. Though it was widely known that both he and Haruno had a preference for sleeping in, Itachi had been awake the entire night on edge due to the creaking of the floorboards.

He couldn't risk Hidan sneaking in and after having two visitors within twenty minutes of each other on the same night, Itachi couldn't allow himself the sweet embrace of sleep. He laid awake listening to the patterns of the floorboards and his partner's quiet inhalations of breath as he stared at the navy ceiling of his old bedroom within the confines of his mind. He had absently (with no conscious thought on his part) played with a small strand of his partner's pink hair that mysteriously appeared within his grasp and the revelation had startled him from the bed.

He dressed quickly and placed a seal on the door; he'd be gone for only ten minutes at the very most and it was unlikely Sakura would be up before he returned. He made his way silently through the hallways to the outside of the base before he made his ways into the woods surrounding the Akatsuki's covert lair.

"Report," he commanded, stretching out an arm.

A hawk flew from the branch of a tree and settled itself on his arm, sticking out a foot with a small tube attached. Itachi quickly unfastened the message and nodded to the hawk in dismissal as it flew away from him back to its village.

Itachi stored the massage in his pocket and turned on his heel to be confronted with the sight of Hidan's gleeful smirk, "So you're dealing with Konoha, eh?"

Itachi didn't answer but pushed past the immortal to continue on his way.

"Does Pain know about your fucking message bringer?"

Itachi ignored the following man and continued to the entrance, "I believe Pain would like to speak with you."

"It's about that pink-haired bitch, right?"

Itachi's hand clenched in irritation as he navigated his way through the hallways of the base back to his room.

"So, are you guys fu―?"

"Hidan, Pain would like to see you. Perhaps he could clear up your misconceptions about Sakura and myself," Itachi turned on his pursuer with a fury that Hidan simply smirked at.

"No need to get so fucking defensive, Itachi! I was just fucking asking," Hidan shrugged. "I'll go see Pain now, so chill the fuck out."

Itachi's eyes narrowed and he continued on his way without another glance to the Jashin-worshipper and upon reaching his room, he noted with satisfaction that Hidan was no longer following him.

"Itachi?" a quiet, sleepy voice called from within the room.

Itachi undid the seal and stepped into the room quickly, closing the door behind him. "You're up early, Sakura."

Sakura sat up from the bed and yawned, "You too. What's up? News?"

Itachi pulled the small tube from his pocket and nodded, "Correct."

"What's it say?"

Itachi sat on the edge of his bed a respectable distance from his charge, who closed the gap in earnestness. Itachi nearly sighed at her excitability and conveniently ignored her invasion of his personal space. "I have yet to open it, Sakura."

Sakura watched with interest as Itachi removed a scrap of paper from the tube and unfolded it to reveal the text. She read quickly and turned her face to his, a nearly panicky expression that conveyed her concern. "Itachi?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'll speak with Pain as soon as possible," Itachi assured her, "We shall move to another base as soon as I receive his approval." Itachi awkwardly reached a hand up to rest on her back in a gesture of comfort, "I will do my duty to protect you, so do not be concerned, Sakura."

Sakura met his gaze unfalteringly, "It's not myself I'm worried about."

Itachi's heart stopped dead and his chest tightened painfully with…_something_…as her words sunk in. His hand on her back delicately curled around the fabric of her white wife-beater and he pondered her words thoughtfully. "You need not be concerned for my sake."

"But I am," she insisted.

Itachi removed himself from her presence and retreated to the doorway, "I'll go speak to Pain currently."

-o0-

Sakura struggled to keep pace with Itachi as he navigated through the thick, winter-ridden trees with little effort. Her clothes barely held the wind at bay and she found herself shaking with both cold and strain. With one last burst of energy, she closed the gap between them and managed a quiet uttering of his name.

Clearly, it had been sufficiently whiny to cause him concern, because the older Uchiha stopped instantly and caught her quickly, jumping to the forest floor below. He set her against a tree almost…gently as he removed his Akatsuki cloak and shrugged it over her head and onto her much smaller frame. Silently, he lifted her into his arms and jumped back into the bare branches of the trees.

"You should have mentioned sooner your condition," Itachi scolded lightly, jumping from tree to tree again.

Sakura gave him an unamused stare and crossed her arms, "I'm not completely useless."

"No," Itachi agreed, "but you are reckless. You have probably contracted a sickness from our running this morning and you'll probably fall should your arms remain crossed."

"What are you? My mother?" Sakura huffed, arms still crossed.

Itachi sent her an amused smirk and he sighed thoughtfully, "If I were, would you listen to me?"

Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye and a wry smile managed to break through her previous exasperation. "No, probably not."

"What a disrespectful daughter," Itachi chuckled almost good-naturedly.

"What a demanding mother!" she laughed uncrossing her arms and wrapping them around his neck securely. "If you keep this up, Itachi, I might think that you've actually acquired a sense of humor."

"Who's to say I didn't have one before?"

Sakura sent him a disbelieving stare, the cold forgotten, "You didn't."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

Itachi held in a chuckle and tentatively slowed his pace, "We'll stop here for a while. The other base is still quite a distance away and we'll have to stop for the night in a few hours."

Sakura nodded allowed herself to be slowly set on her feet. Standing up, Sakura noticed that Itachi's cloak hung extremely loose, the sleeves reaching beyond her fingertips and the bottom, usually reaching around Itachi's knees, hung about her ankles. She swam in the fabric and she couldn't be more thankful for the warm material, wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she trapped the warmth from escaping.

"You look warm."

"I am, thank you. Yourself?" she smiled.

Itachi shrugged and settled himself against a tree, "I'm fine."

"You're cold," she insisted. "You didn't have to give me your cloak if you were cold."

"I'm fine."

"Bullshit!" she walked over to Itachi and sat down beside him, "You were running just now and when you stopped, your sweat cooled quickly. The sudden chill is probably going to make _you_ sick!"

"What are you?" he chuckled, "My mother?"

Sakura, slightly taken aback, began to chuckle, "Do you think if I was your mother, you'd listen to me?"

"Probably. She was quite fierce."

Sakura's eyes widened and she closed them calmly, "What…a disrespectful son."

"What a demanding mother."

Sakura laughed, "Having my own words thrown back at me…So few people in Konoha were brave enough to actually do something like this."

"Like what?"

"This!" Sakura gestured with her hand for effect. "This is fun, but everyone thinks I'm going to beat them within an inch of their life if they try it."

"Hm…" Itachi sounded, resting his head back against the tree.

Sakura inched closer to him and Itachi eyed her wearily. "Oh, calm down, Frosty-san," Sakura stuck her tongue out at him playfully, "you're cold still, aren't you?"

Itachi made no comment to deny or approve her conclusion and she took it as affirmation of his lowered body temperature. She tentatively rested her head against his shoulder and extended her arm across his chest to settle her hand on his mid-side. Her other arm sneaked its way around his back to meet her other hand, circling Itachi and causing her to press against his side.

They remained silent, Sakura yawning every so often and Itachi unknowingly placing a hand on her back. Despite Itachi's silent nature, her invasion of his personal space did bring him some very appreciated warmth. Not much, but enough.

Her hands dropped suddenly and Itachi snapped his head to look at her― closed eyes, rhythmic breathing, and completely relaxed against him. She was asleep. Her forehead rested against his neck and he sighed quietly.

It was time to leave.

He picked her up carefully and cradled her gently in his arms before jumping into the trees once again, his grip firm (her own body not being much use in supporting itself) but benign. She could sleep for a while, he supposed, until they reached the hotel where they would stay for the night.

-o0-

"Sakura," he nudged her shoulder carefully, "wake up."

She burrowed herself against him unknowingly, shrinking from the prospect of consciousness. "Itachi…"

"Wake up. You can sleep again in few more minutes," Itachi nudged her again, "if you walk for now."

Her eyes opened and she nodded quietly, "Fine. Put me down."

He set her down and led her through the empty streets of a small village to the front of an inn. Itachi motioned for her to enter the building and he followed close behind as found themselves in the small, shabby lobby. They approached the desk where the innkeeper slept soundly and Itachi lightly tapped the man on the shoulder, "Excuse me, Sir."

The older man started awake, jumping at the contact. He looked from Itachi to his companion with confusion and Itachi repeated his request. "Ah, yes. How many rooms?"

"One," Itachi answered.

The old man accepted the money Itachi offered him and in return handed a small key to the Uchiha, "You're in room 28."

Itachi nodded his thanks and led the sleepy Sakura down a hallway, following the signs until he located their room. He quickly opened the door and ushered Sakura inside. She didn't hesitate in making her way toward the bed and when Itachi shifted his gaze from noticing the shabby room to his charge, he found her sprawled across the only bed.

As far as awkward situations, Itachi was relatively unconcerned; Sakura and he had been sharing a bed for nearly two months. Although on this particular night it would seem they would be closer in proximity than ever, he would simply have to ignore his hesitation for the sake of much needed sleep. Had she not fallen asleep on his shoulder a mere four hours previous? Had he not carried her in his arms for nearly four hours? If anything, she owed him a good night's rest.

Quietly making his way to the bed, Itachi stripped off his shirt and shoes and pulled the comforter from under the sleeping Sakura. Realizing with slight unhappiness that Sakura still had both his cloak and her shoes on, he sighed and settled himself on the bed and reached for her.

Carefully, he removed her shoes without waking her up. Sakura was a heavy sleeper, Itachi had noted over the last few months, and nothing short of shaking and screaming would awaken her. Next came the tricky part, he sighed, the cloak required him to touch her much more than he felt comfortable with.

He grabbed the bottom of the Akatsuki garb with one hand and used his other to lift her form into a seated position. Resting her against his shoulder, both hands pulled the robe to mid-thigh before he lifted her again, maneuvering the robe free of her hips.

When she was free of the robe, Itachi prepared to escape the contact with the medic. Before he could get away safely, however, Sakura turned suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck. At a loss, Itachi attempted to once again free himself but the sleeping girl buried her face against his neck.

"Sakura," Itachi tried, leaning back to gain some distance.

She muttered something indescribable (as her voice was muffled against him) and her weight was shifted onto him. "…tachi…"

If Itachi were anyone but Itachi, he might've cried. Or not. Itachi knew that he could escape if he really tried, but in doing so, Sakura would more than likely wake up with a vengeance. Besides, he reasoned, had he not already resigned himself to be closer to her? The bed was small and Sakura _had_ been sprawled across it so it was inevitable that they would be forced into contact― though _this_ wasn't exactly what Itachi had in mind.

_ 'No use escaping the inevitable,'_ Itachi nearly shrugged, reaching for the light switch near the bed.

The lights safely off, he scooted himself into a lying position and covered both himself and his companion (who was using him as a pillow at this point) with the comforter.

Morning was going to suck.

-o0-

She was ignoring him.

It was to be expected, he supposed, after the awkward morning they'd shared. Not only had she been completely taken aback at having woken up on _top_ of him, but Itachi was not permitted to explain the circumstance of the incident due to her embarrassed silence. Three hours after departing that small, insignificant village, Sakura still refused to speak to him.

Not, Itachi cringed, that he'd actually made any effort (outside of giving her his cloak) to draw out conversation from his silent companion and as they proceeded through the bare, snow-ridden expanse of a field, Itachi pondered the consequences of such actions. Making a decision, Itachi turned his head to the side slightly and addressed her, "Sakura, I…"

"It was an accident, I'm sure," she cut him off, her gaze remaining on the field ahead.

Itachi sighed and proceeded again, "Sakura, please let me talk."

Silence was her answer as she motioned for him to continue.

"Last night, I did not intend to make any form of contact with your body. However," he continued as she blushed in embarrassment, "I am guilty of letting you sleep that way."

Sakura sent him a quick glance and frowned, "You should have woken me up."

_'Easier said than done,'_ he thought as he spoke again, "You were still recovering from our earlier run and as I am not a medic, I decided sleep would be the best medicine for a swift recovery."

That was a lie, but it seemed to placate her and they ran in silence, the snow covered ground carrying on forever in an endless sea of white. They were completely exposed, and both were tense as they traversed the field in the early morning. Surely they would be able to handle any enemy that planned to ambush them, but without any form of cover it would be all the more difficult.

Sakura twitched and on instinct dropped low to the ground to avoid the projectile hurtling toward her shoulder. Itachi noticed her movement instantly and took his position as her guard, standing before her crouched form.

Sakura peered out from behind Itachi's battle-ready form and watched an all too familiar individual approach with all the arrogance (and plus some) he had the last time she'd seen him.

Honestly, he hadn't changed much. His hair was still spiky and his self-confident smirk remained plastered across his face. If anything, Sakura noticed only two differences: 1.) He was older now, and 2.) He was batshit insane.

Itachi's eyes narrowed on his brother as the younger Uchiha slowly strolled toward them. Sasuke hadn't grown up well and Itachi felt the pang of regret. Clearly, his plan had backfired in a large way. If the expression on his face was any indication, Itachi was sure that his brother would never be normal again and if that were the case, what was he sacrificing himself for?

"Sasuke…" Itachi heard the girl behind him whisper.

Sasuke finally stopped in his approach and remained in silence only a few yards from his targets. With his smirk ever present, Sasuke began to speak: "Brother, Sakura…How convenient that you're both here. That saves me a lot of trouble."

Sakura swallowed dryly and cast her eyes up to her silent companion, waiting for him to speak. She knew the look on Itachi's face was reflective of his mind for once― he was debating with himself. Slowly, Sakura raised a hand and tugged on Itachi's pant leg, "Itachi?"

Thankfully, Itachi seemed to make a decision and his visage became that of the ice they stood upon, "Hello, otouto."

Sasuke glared at his brother, "What have you done?"

Itachi didn't answer and Sakura assumed it was due to the fact that neither Itachi nor she could figure out what Sasuke was accusing him of. Sakura slowly rose to her feet and stood slightly behind her partner, tugging her gloves into place. "What do you mean, Sasuke?" she questioned, raising her voice and suppressing her worry.

Her ex-teammate ignored her and continued his accusatory glare, "What have you done?"

"I'm sorry, otouto," Itachi spoke out with his normal controlled tone, "but it seems you will have to elaborate on your ridiculous assertions. What exactly is it that I've done?"

"Besides the obvious," Sasuke spat, his posture tense, "it seems you've decided to steal something else from me."

"Sakura and I…" Itachi sent a small glance to her frowning face.

Sasuke snarled and disappeared quickly, emerging from the ground (one of Kakashi's techniques, Sakura noted with dismay) before his brother. "Don't even look at her!"

Itachi easily caught Sasuke's fist as it flew at him and he used his younger brother's momentum to launch him away from his pink-haired charge. Itachi reached for Sakura's arm and pulled her close, whispering a quick: "I'm not going to do anything reckless."

Sakura was momentarily confused as she thought about his statement even as her partner forced her to remain pressed against him. Sakura put the pieces together and gave him a tiny relieved smile to show her appreciation.

"Sakura!" her ex-teammate yelled angrily. "Get away from him! Do you even know what he's done?"

Sakura remained silent and stubbornly maintained her contact with Itachi's broad, manly…wait, she mentally punched herself, a battle was not the time for such thoughts. As her attention turned back to the Uchiha brothers, she noticed Itachi smirk mercilessly at his brother as his Sharingan spun. "Otouto, you realize that you're far too late."

Sasuke paused and his face darkened, "Not if I kill you here."

"That won't be happening," Sakura interjected. "Itachi can't die here. He has a spotless mission record to uphold."

"Indeed, I do," Itachi agreed quietly before addressing his brother, "Sasuke, you finally have enough hate…but you've lost something much more crucial to defeating me."

"And what is that?"

"Your sanity."

Sakura slammed her fist down and shattered the frozen earth with precision, exploding the scene into chaos. Sasuke was taken off guard and Itachi took advantage, forming a high-level Genjutsu to ensnare his younger brother.

Sakura evaluated the status of her partner and sighed in relief as he stood calmly beside the collapsed form of Sasuke. She approached the two carefully and held a hand out to touch Itachi's shoulder, "Did you get him?"

Itachi stood to his feet slowly and faced her quietly as she looked at him with a questioning expression. She shifted to horror as he slumped forward and she managed to catch his taller form. "Itachi? Itachi? Itachi!"

She set him down gently and pulled up the sleeves of Itachi's robe that she was wearing and her hands glowed with the faint green of chakra. She pressed her hands to his abdomen, searching for the problem.

He'd gotten hit.

At some point during the skirmish, Sasuke had managed to stab his brother in a nearly vital area and Sakura was nearly frantic as she tried to stop the bleeding. With an intense amount of effort, she reconnected the tissue and nerves of the wound.

After a quick glance to be sure Sasuke was still trapped in Itachi's genjutsu, Sakura brushed the loose strands of hair from Itachi's face, "Itachi, are you okay?"

The man groaned unhappily and blinked rapidly, "Sakura?"

"Dumbass," she smiled in relief. "What happened to not doing anything reckless, hm?"

"I'm fine."

Sakura frowned as she helped him sit up and kept her arm around him as a support. "Don't say that to the person who just healed your sorry, sleeping ass."

"Like I said, I'm fine," Itachi allowed a small fragment of a smile grace his usual dour façade, "now."

Sakura lifted him to his feet and motioned toward Sasuke, "What do we do with him?"

"Tie him up and bring him along with us." Itachi sighed, "I'll get into contact with Konoha when we get to the other base."

"How far do we have left?" Sakura asked as she pulled rope from her bag and began the process of tying up her ex-teammate.

He motioned for her to approach and as she gingerly lay a hand on his shoulder Itachi placed his own hand on top of hers, "Get a good hold on him. I will perform a teleportation jutsu."

"But the chakra use might strain your body!"

Itachi calmly gazed at her, "I've been in worse situations, Sakura. Do you have a hold on him?"

"H-Hai," Sakura nodded.

Within half a second, the world changed into a relatively empty room and Sakura quickly turned her attention to the exhausted Itachi, "I told you."

"Hn," Itachi grunted, sitting himself down on a lone chair in the room. "Sakura, thank you for your assistance."

Sakura nodded and sought to attend to him, pressing the palm of her hand to his forehead. She brought her other hand to his cheek to check for a fever, "Your temperature is slightly too high. Itachi, you need to let me check you for infection."

"Secure Sasuke first," he commanded, raising his own hand to lift hers away. "There are chakra restraints in that closet."

Itachi pointed to a door near the back of the room and Sakura hurried off to locate the item. After taking care to thoroughly tie Sasuke properly, Sakura turned back to her patient, "Itachi?"

He had quietly dozed off, she noted with apprehension. She shook his shoulder lightly and roused him gently, "Itachi, we should find a room with an actual bed first."

He wordlessly stood and motioned for her to grab the still unconscious Sasuke. She followed as he led her quietly through the halls to a room and the trio entered. It was a carbon copy of Itachi's other room, she noticed with surprise as she deposited Sasuke in the adjoined bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and re-entered the bedroom, finding her companion already in bed. "Itachi?"

Quietly, she pulled the chair from the corner to the bedside and Sakura carefully pulled the covers back so she could reach his injury. Lifting his shirt up to reach the wound, she laid her hands on him again and probed for further injury.

Discovering only small lacerations that she'd missed earlier in her haste, she healed him completely and sat dutifully by his side quietly. With the passing of several minutes that slowly led to an hour, Sakura found herself asleep with her head resting upon his blanket-covered chest.

When Itachi awoke with a heavy pressure upon his chest, his first reaction was of concern and he looked around quietly for his charge to find her chosen place of rest. His hand slowly removed itself from underneath the covers and settled among the long, pink locks of her hair, delicately fiddling with the silky strands between his fingertips. Silently petting his sleeping companion, Itachi questioned himself not for the first moment in his life.

What would he do now?

Sasuke was handled…and Sakura really had no reason to remain with Akatsuki. With him.

Although selfish, Itachi hadn't really thought about the end result of his plan. He hadn't factored in how her actual worrying for _his_ sake affected him― she had been one of the few people in his life to actually care about the consequences of his actions, more so than even himself.

When she'd discovered his plan for sacrificing himself to his brother's destructive ways, she'd been outraged. She couldn't fathom the reasons for his decision. And the funny thing was?

Neither could he.

It was unbelievable. Something he'd long ago decided that had at one time seemed so logical and important now seemed an incredibly stupid suicide attempt. _Funny_, he thought, _how one girl can change plans that had long been set in motion_.

And in one miraculous moment, Itachi fathomed himself in…love? Was that what he felt?

His chest tightened when she expressed her worries for him…when she allowed herself to sleep soundly in his presence despite the norms of ninja life…when she enjoyed his company even in what should have been the most terrifying experience of her life.

Yes. Maybe love was what it was.

But what did it mean?

Did it mean that he could make her stay with him? Or should he resume life in Konoha?

No. That was far too impossible to comprehend. He was recognized in nearly every bingo book in the ninja world and the citizens of Konoha still believed that the massacre was the act of an insane heir pushed to the edge by the standards of an elite clan and her joining Akatsuki was a dangerously foolish idea that was clearly out of the question.

What was there to be done?

They could run away together. They could run to the farthest edges of the world and attempt to live in peace. They could even tell Tsunade…

Itachi spared another glance at the sleeping girl and sighed. Of course, if she didn't feel the same for him, his debating would be for naught.

Could Sakura love him?

Itachi slowly and carefully pulled himself from the covers and lifted the unconscious kunoichi into the bed, pulling the covers up around her before making his way to the bathroom in which his brother was tied up.

Sasuke was awake, he calmly assessed as he leaned against the smooth, cool edge of the counter. "Sasuke."

Sasuke sent him a death glare as he remained still in the bathtub where his former teammate had left him. "Itachi."

Silently, Itachi tried to find words for his brother…something to let him know the torment and pain he internally felt. "The massacre…" he began.

"I'm surprised you have the balls to talk about that!" Sasuke spat angrily. "They'd still be alive if you hadn't killed them!"

Itachi sighed calmly, "Shut up."

"Fuck you!"

Itachi strode over to his brother and quickly gazed into his eyes before Sasuke could shut them. Within seconds, Sasuke was gasping and wheezing as his brother placed a hand on the unruly mess that Sasuke called hair. "That's the truth."

"…the truth?" the younger Uchiha gasped as tears welled in his eyes. "So everything until now was a lie?"

"Everything you knew until now," Itachi confirmed, "was a lie."

Itachi stood quickly and moved to the door, pausing as Sasuke began to cry silently to himself. "I shall be back soon, otouto."

He shut the door behind him and moved back to the bed, occupying the seat Sakura had previously sat herself in and allowing himself to ponder his previous discovery as his preconceived plans fell apart under his fingertips.

-o0-

He carefully surveyed her serene expression as her eyes slowly slid open to reveal hazy, sleep-addled emerald. Sakura sat up slowly and Itachi quickly sat himself on the edge of the bed, allowing himself to lay a single hand on her shoulder in silent support. "Sakura…"

"Itachi?" her brow furrowed, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I woke up some time ago," Itachi answered shortly, his serious expression calming to a relaxed gaze. "Sakura, we must have a discussion."

"Hm? Yeah, sure," she accepted with a yawn. "What is it?"

Itachi took a second to quell his inner insecurity and fire, breathing in a sharp inhalation of breath, "Sakura, what is the nature of your affections for myself?"

Sakura sent him a puzzled gaze and she rubbed her forehead with her thumb, "Huh? Itachi, what are you asking me?"

"Do you," he restated cautiously, "feel anything towards me?"

The words slid from his tongue to the air surrounding the pair as Sakura blinked in shock, mouth agape. Itachi felt his own foolishness astutely and sought to retract his statement, but was shushed with Sakura holding a single delicate hand up. He waited for her, but she sat quietly and looked to be thinking over his question seriously― causing a fluttering hope to increase the rapid beat of his heart.

"I…" she began. Her hesitation was evident as her mouth alternated between opening and closing before she took in a large gasp, "I love Konoha."

Itachi sunk into confusion, "Sakura, what―?"

"I don't want to be a traitor to my homeland," Sakura let out quietly, her eyes connecting with his in a silent display of emotion.

Itachi slid his hand from her shoulder into her hair, "I still retain my ANBU captain status."

"But the massacre…"

"Sakura," he sighed, moving himself closer to her as he repeated himself, "I still retain my ANBU captain status."

"But what does that mean?" she squawked in surprise as he kissed her neck quickly. "Tsunade-shishou trusts you, but I still don't understand why!"

Itachi pressed his lips once again to her neck in another quick kiss before quietly relating the entire incident of that horrific and infamous night. "The Elders commanded the clan be destroyed."

"What?" Sakura gasped again as one of her hands flew to one of his broad shoulders, "They what?"

"It is one Konoha's most guarded secrets and currently I am working as a spy within Akatsuki," Itachi explained as his other hand rested itself on her blanket-covered knee. "Sakura, do you love me?"

Sakura looked at him in shock, "You just told me that my village is practically run by clan-murdering old people and **that's** what you're concerned about?"

"_Our_ village is run by old, foolish people who have no capacity for democracy and peace…but it is still our village despite the wrongs it has done us," he smiled bemusedly. "My question still stands: Do you love me?"

Her face flushed brightly and she turned her face from him, "I don't know."

Itachi cocked an eyebrow, "Yes or no, Sakura?"

"I don't know!" she repeated in frustration. "I can't deny that I _like_ you. A lot more than I should, I'm sure."

"I love you," he said with conviction, his hands tugging her hair (and head) towards him. "I would like to see you every day," he paused before adding, "and night."

"Yeah, well…" Sakura's face darkened into a deep red, "Let's assume that I do love you…then what?"

Itachi paused and carefully met her eyes, "I'd think of something."

"You say that now, but how can we even remotely be together?"

Itachi gave only a moment's pause before smirking mercilessly, "You seem to be thinking this over rather thoroughly, Sakura."

"Whatever," she turned from him again and tried to hide her face again, "I'm not very good with these kinds of things."

"Say you love me," he commanded. "Say it and I shall find a solution to our dilemma."

"I…"

-o0-

(I'm a bitch for cutting it off there, ne? Onward~)

-o0-

They were travelling quickly through the bare trees again, Sasuke still tied up and thrown over the shoulder of his older brother as Sakura kept pace with her curious companion. They were still days from Konoha and Sakura was thankful that Sasuke was not attempting to escape and/or attack them.

Itachi cast a glance toward her and Sakura blushed deeply at the subtle traces of the results of their conversation two days ago. She turned her attention to fiddling with the sleeve-ends of Itachi's Akatsuki cloak and narrowly avoided the oncoming tree trunk.

She was still confused. She was absolutely puzzled at the recent development. Sure, she'd been mildly interested in Itachi (Lord knows Inner Sakura had a field day distracting her during fights and other inconvenient locations), but she had always quelled whatever arose. Even sharing a bed during the entirety of her stay with Akatsuki hadn't affected them so dramatically, had it?

Of course it had.

Sakura knew that she was often easily emotionally compromised― it had happened before with Sasuke. How could this be any different?

_It just was._

That was Inner's theory, of course. Sakura had never placed too much stock in Inner's ability to corrupt any situation and often her alternate personality was banished to the far reaches of her consciousness. But maybe, just this once, Inner had a point.

Itachi and Sasuke were not similar in the least bit, clearly. Itachi was…reserved. He was always sure to remain as an observer who retained a third-party's outlook in any situation and it was very possible, she realized, that he had been more interested in her the last few months than he'd let on.

Everything had changed two days ago and Sakura silently mauled over her choice as she continued to keep Itachi's pace, oblivious to the interested glances he threw in her direction. He cleared his throat to attract her attention, "What are you thinking about, Sakura?"

"We're crazy, aren't we?"

He was taken aback by her response and as curiosity won him over, he asked "Why?"

"I don't know, it's just…" Sakura faltered, "Will this really work out?"

Itachi slowed to a halt and turned to her completely as she followed his lead to stop. His hand reached out and set itself on her cheek calmly, "Sakura, I always keep my promises. I'll find a way."

"I…"

"Do you wish to retract your previous decision?" he asked carefully, pulling his hand away.

Sakura snatched his hand back and pressed it again to her face, blushing as she declared that she had not changed her mind. "If you can find a way…I don't want this to end."

Sasuke struggled briefly with objection and Itachi set him on the branch carefully before moving closer to the object of his affections, "Neither do I, but you realize that there is no going back once we've completed the plan." He cast her a look that displayed a subtle uncertainty in the charcoal depths of his eyes and Sakura drew nearer on instinct, wrapping her smaller arms around him.

"I understand, Itachi," Sakura looked up to his face, "but it's so soon…"

"I'm sure that we shall be fine," he sighed and pulled away slightly with a smirk, "we managed to share a bed without too many disputes."

Sakura grumbled as her face grew to a dark red color, "Don't go saying stuff like that around Shishou. She'll kill you."

Itachi chuckled and Sakura found herself amazed at the sound and regretted the moment Itachi let her go to pick up his younger brother. "We must continue on so that we can reach Konoha by sundown and inform Tsunade of this development."

-o0-

"You're kidding, right?" the Godaime roared.

Sakura held her hands out with an embarrassed expression overtaking her face as the man beside her held an amused smirk upon his face, "Shishou, don't yell so loudly! You're going to wake up Konoha!"

"Who gives a damn!" Tsunade slammed her fist down, "Uchiha, what the **hell** were you thinking?" She stared at him expectantly and when he declined to answer, her scowl deepened, "How about I tell you what you were thinking? You weren't! Clearly!"

"Shishou…" Sakura sighed. "Will you help us or not?"

"Help? Help!" the Hokage stared disbelievingly, "I **should** put you on house-arrest, Sakura, and I **should** lock you up, Uchiha! There's no way in hell that I'm going to help!"

Itachi then deemed it fit for him to intervene in the situation by wrapping a secure arm around the pink-haired medic nin, "Would rather have us attempt this by ourselves? Sakura thought that in addition to dropping off my unruly otouto we should inform you of our decision so that you would not be devastated by the results of the plan."

Tsunade nearly growled at the unspoken challenge written across his smug, Uchiha face and eventually she plopped herself down her chair with resignation, "Fine…What do I have to do?"

"Well," Itachi began, "first…"

-o0-

The news of their deaths shocked everyone.

Deidara and Kisame were stunned that someone as powerful as Itachi would be taken down by a lowlife such as Kabuto and that if their suspicions about his fondness of the pink-haired medic were true (or even if they weren't), that he would have allowed Sakura to perish as well.

Tobi had seemed rather smug about the entire situation and Deidara had promptly sent an exploding spider in his direction― which, of course, he dodged to the blond's endless frustration.

In Konoha, the results were drastically different.

Both Ino and Naruto had stormed into Tsunade's office with tear-tracks sliding down their sticky and reddened cheeks demanding that she tell them it was not true that Sakura Haruno, best friend to both, had died by the hand of the deranged Orochimaru supporter. With the two before her sobbing, Tsunade had sighed and opened her desk door to retrieve the notes Sakura had left in her possession.

"You both understand that this demands the utmost secrecy," Tsunade warned, holding the notes out of their reach as they nodded. "Okay then, make sure this last one reaches Kakashi."

She watched with something akin to a smile as the two blondes read their notes with first shock and then elation before shooing them from the office. As she took a wistful position at her window and overlooked her quiet village in the fading sunset, the Godaime sighed deeply and murmured quietly in thought, "It better have been worth it, Sakura."

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

Sorry to cut off the ending like that…but I already feel guilty for making CrazyBitchWithAKunai wait so long!

Alright. At 31 pages and 11,972 words (roughly…damn Word Counter…), this is DONE.

I'll leave it up to your imagination how their little life together turned out and if it seems a little off in some places it's because this is the LONGEST oneshot I've ever written and when it carries on so long I feel disappointed in some aspects because there might've been a scene in which I know I could have done better.

I actually feel that the ItaSaku was a little forced…and that concerns me greatly.

Anyway…I hope you liked it and that my one month of continual writing left you with something to remember…whether it be my witty charm or simply because you like ItaSaku.

Review if you like~

I'm always appreciative (most of the time― supperlatives are bad!).

XP

AJlovesKakashi

P.S. Any more requests? C'mon! I can take 'em! Maybe…


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